


Iced Americano, A Dash of Baileys

by onlymildlyinfatuated



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Blow Jobs, Business Owner Kevin Moon, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, temporary misunderstanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:15:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlymildlyinfatuated/pseuds/onlymildlyinfatuated
Summary: As Jacob walks away to wait for his drink, he tosses over his shoulder with a smirk, “Glad myfavoritecoffee shop owner would be distraught without me.”Yeah, Kevin decides. Today is a great day.Coffee Shop Owner Kevin Moon has a favorite regular who he may or may not be thirsting after.
Relationships: Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Moon Hyungseo | Kevin
Comments: 14
Kudos: 172





	Iced Americano, A Dash of Baileys

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to get out another fic before the New Year (BYE 2020! GET OUT!) and also coffee shop owner Kevin possessed me in a way that ended up with me writing 15.5k. Can’t believe my second fic is another MoonBae fic and is obnoxiously long again, i'm so sorry 
> 
> Hope you enjoy An Amount™️ of pining and some spice at the end :)

Kevin was going to have a great day. 

He woke up before his alarm which meant he had more time to enjoy his morning coffee in the peaceful darkness of his coffee shop. It meant he was ready to greet the overly peppy delivery boy from the bakery down the block and match his excitement when he’s told that Felix finally tried making carrot cakes and that he put a bunch in their order for the day. It meant he had Eric and Haknyeon’s drink orders ready to go before their shifts, happy to start his two morning-rush employees on a good note. It meant he was infinitely more ready to deal with especially irritable customers that morning. 

His happy energy seeped into his two employees and overall, the atmosphere was pleasant despite the morning onslaught that comes with owning a coffee shop that opens at 5 AM. The three of them are efficient and relaxed and their joking banter seems to brighten some of the other patrons’ mood; Kevin even catches a notoriously grumpy customer cracking a smile at Hakneyon’s various comedic impressions.

So it’s a good day for Kevin. It gets _great_ when a certain regular walks in. 

“Jacob, good morning!” Kevin calls out, his customer service smile becoming fonder at the sight of the tired-looking man. He’s wearing a charcoal grey suit under a black coat today and despite the tell-tale signs of dark circles under his pretty eyes, he manages to look like he just walked off some runway for business suits. His blonde hair is artfully styled and his broad shoulders are still squared despite his obvious fatigue. 

Kevin might be biased but that’s a thought for another time because Jacob’s answering smile is bright and wonderful and it solidifies that today is a _great_ day. 

“Morning, Kevin,” Jacob’s voice is a little rough, as it usually is when it’s this early. He’s already pulling out his card because Kevin has his order memorized and the transaction is almost painfully short because of this. In an attempt to elongate it, Kevin fixates a critical eye on the man. 

“You look like you didn’t get much sleep,” and Kevin can say this because Jacob has been a morning weekday regular to his shop for the past year and a half. Over time, they’ve formed a comfortable repartee between the two of them—not friends but close-enough acquaintances. 

Jacob scoffs and points to his dark circles, arching an eyebrow. “I saw them in the mirror too, don’t worry. I know I look rough,” he laughs then, but it sounds hollow. Kevin has to hold himself back from showering the man with compliments about how he still looks perfect, that the dark circles do nothing to dull his bright eyes. 

Instead, Kevin just shoots Jacob a sympathetic smile, and asks, “Want me to add an extra espresso shot for funsies?” 

Jacob cracks a grin and chuckles; it’s soft but it warms Kevin’s heart, hopeful that he could brighten his favorite regular’s morning a little. “No, I’ll be alright. Don’t want to mess with my heart rate any more than usual anyways,” and he waves his Apple Watch as an explanation. Kevin’s handing the cup off to Haknyeon as he eyes the device. 

“Is your heart rate something we need to be worried about?” There’s no “we” to speak to but Kevin doesn’t think too hard about it. 

Jacob’s smile grows, eyes crinkling and Kevin thinks that he may be the one who has to monitor his heart rate. “If I worried about it too much, I wouldn’t be able to come to my favorite place every morning,” and Kevin flushes. 

Jacob has been doing this recently: dropping sweet comments here and there, the slightest bit of flirting in his words. Kevin has to remember their place though and Jacob might just be this nice to everyone. So instead, he shoots finger guns at the man and winks. 

“I’m honored to know my establishment takes priority!” Feeling bold, and wanting to push the slight flirtatious vibe he may be imagining, Kevin adds, “Would be awful to lose my _favorite_ regular’s business.” 

He may be imagining it but Jacob looks like he blushes a little; it could just be the morning sunlight though, shining through the shop’s windows and bathing everyone in warmth. As Jacob walks away to wait for his drink, he tosses over his shoulder with a smirk, “Glad my _favorite_ coffee shop owner would be distraught without me.” 

Yeah, Kevin decides. Today is a great day. 

~~~

When midday rolls around, Kevin is still cheerful. The morning rush went fine without any incidents and today’s particularly lovely interaction with Jacob means Kevin’s good mood has yet to dissipate. Eric and Haknyeon clocked out hours ago and Chanhee, a manager and close friend, is helping Kevin finish up cleaning the bar from the morning rush. 

While Kevin tends to be pleasant a majority of the time, his happiness from the morning is making him extra peppy. Because everyone knows about his pining for Jacob, Chanee knows the exact reason for his happy mood.

“I’m baffled you haven’t written your number onto his cup yet,” Chanhee emphasizes his point with a slap on Kevin’s ass with his dirty rag. When the bell on the front door rings, they both look up, customer service smiles at full wattage; under the counter, Kevin gets in his own whack on Chanhee’s thigh.

“I feel like it’d be wholly inappropriate for the owner of the store to flirt with a customer that blatantly?” Kevin answers Chanhee’s unsaid question after they finish serving a few customers. The midday lull means they have a chance to relax and talk so Kevin relayed his “Daily Jacob Interaction” to Chanhee. 

“I guess that makes sense. I mean, it’s whatever your “coffee-shop-owner-morales” align with but if he’s been flirty lately, that might mean something?” Chanhee just shrugs when Kevin rolls his eyes and pinches his nose bridge. 

“Dude, my “coffee-shop-owner-morales” are basic business etiquette,” Kevin sighs and leans against the counter, already worn out from thinking about his predicament. 

Chanhee’s attitude towards finding love in Kevin’s coffee shop is based heavily on his now two-year relationship with Younghoon, a regular customer who became enraptured with Chanhee. Kevin doesn’t have the same brazen confidence. And owning a coffee shop takes up all his time and leaves him little energy to even consider romancing someone. 

He used to tell himself that he was perfectly fine with what he had. That his parents’ lovely retiree life was more important to keep secure and that the shop they gave him would be in competent hands. That he’d be content with just that. 

So he doesn’t know how to feel about Jacob making him want more. Kevin can’t place when he started looking at the man differently, started yearning to have more than just the transient interactions they have. But it doesn’t matter at this point; Kevin is highly aware of his foolish pining for the man. 

“I don’t even know him,” Kevin admits softly, mood visibly dampened; Chanhee pauses from polishing glasses and makes his way over to Kevin. His friend doesn’t pity him but his sympathetic look still stings a little.

“Well, there you go. Start there. Be friends with him first,” he says quietly, gently taking Kevin’s clenched hands in his, unfurling his fists where he had pressed indents into his palms with his fingernails. 

Kevin sighs. “I may feel a little slimy trying to be friends with a guy I know I like,” he huffs but he’s smiling again, mood brighter. Chanhee is right: being friends is a perfectly good place to start. He starts to dance their held hands between them and adds, “Though who knows, maybe he has some weird hobby I can’t stand!” The two of them laugh and separate just as two peppy teenage girls walk in; Kevin has a blast helping them make their order ridiculous. 

“So, speaking of which, do we think he’s coming in today?” Chanhee notes after making the two frappe-like drinks in record time, wiping stray whipped cream onto his apron. 

It’s a valid question because Jacob started _occasionally_ coming into the shop during lunch. It’s a constant toss-up and it probably takes up more space in Kevin’s brain than it should but he can’t help the bubbling happiness he feels because, at the very least, his coffee shop has become a regular place for a very handsome man. 

As the lunchtime rush starts, the bell on the front door starts ringing consistently and Kevin and Chanhee have to focus. They’re a well-oiled machine and can work the sudden rush of customers easily, years of experience between the two of them. 

At some point, Chanhee, at the register, taps Kevin lightly as he passes by.

“He’s here,” Chanhee quietly sings, and Kevin can feel embarrassed later with how quickly his head shot up. Handing off the drink he just made, he and Chanhee switch spots.

Right as Kevin settles in front of the register, he sees Jacob opening the front door. He had shed his suit jacket and was just in a white collared shirt, the sleeves rolled up. Kevin, ready to make eye contact and smile, is a little confused when Jacob doesn’t immediately look towards the counter, something he always does, both in the morning and when he does his lunchtime visits. 

Kevin _was_ having a great day. 

Jacob’s facing away from the counter to hold the door open for a woman. He’s smiling at her and they’re laughing when she steps in. Kevin’s stomach drops. 

She’s beautiful, frankly. Shorter than Jacob, perfectly styled long black hair, a small face, and pretty features. She’s dressed smartly in a cute blouse and a mid-length skirt that’s cinched at her tiny waist, the white trench coat dwarfing her. Kevin may be a gay man but he can absolutely appreciate a beautiful woman.

The two of them make their way to find a table, and Jacob doesn’t even glance in Kevin’s direction. He watches as they find a seat near a window—unrelated, but it’s Kevin’s favorite place to sit in the cafe. Kevin has to look away or else he’ll break. 

Kevin _is not_ having a great day. 

But Kevin is nothing if not a professional. So he ramps up his customer service persona to compensate for the awful feeling brewing in his stomach and powers through it. 

He makes five customers laugh, laughs with them, smiles just the right amount. When he and Chanhee get through the line of customers and serve all the drinks, Kevin finally looks at his friend. 

“Kev, I don’t even,” Chanhee begins, and he looks sad for him. Kevin hates it. Chanhee has no reason to be sad for him; these things happen and Kevin can lie to himself that he wasn’t _that_ invested. “You didn’t know.” Chanhee finally says and gives Kevin’s arm a squeeze, knowing that they can’t talk about it right now.

Kevin tries to smile but he can feel that it’s shaky. “She’s really pretty isn’t she?” It comes out as a whisper. Chanhee smiles back, warm and kind, and nods.

If anything, Kevin’s favorite regular has fantastic taste. 

They both look over then, sees the two of them talking, and Jacob says something that makes her laugh. She covers her mouth daintily and Jacob smiles at her. 

“I’m gonna grab more filters,” Kevin announces, the pit in his stomach suddenly unbearable and Chanhee just nods as he rushes into the back room. 

He pushes past the curtain in the doorway and stumbles to a table, resting both hands on the cold metal surface. He hangs his head as he leans his full weight into the table, his head pounding.

“Deep breathes,” Kevin mutters, squeezing his eyes close. He’s not going to cry but he does feel like sleeping for the next two weeks. It’s the plunge from his happy high from this morning to the sunken feeling currently overtaking his whole body. 

Honestly, he feels like shit. 

Kevin opens his eyes then, standing up and letting out a loud exhale. 

“You’ll be fine,” he tells himself and he knows he’s right. Obviously, it _sucks:_ he’s bummed that the perfect guy he was crushing on appears to be into women. But he’ll be okay. 

And despite his heart splintering, he can’t help the bittersweet fondness that seeps into the cracks; Jacob brought a date to Kevin’s coffee shop. The thought that Jacob considers his shop a good date spot is lovely enough to make Kevin feel a little better. 

When he steps out back to the bar, Chanhee takes the handful of filters he did actually grab and shuffles him to the register. A line was forming and Kevin dials up his customer service smile to full “Don’t Fuck With Me Or I Will Cry” energy. 

He’s working the line, multitasking between taking orders and making the quicker drinks, his full focus on just doing his job. He doesn’t want to think about anything else, but because of that, he’s completely thrown when she steps up to order. 

“Hello, welcome,” he says automatically. Up close, Jacob’s date is somehow even more elegant and it makes Kevin’s brain halt to a stop. 

“Wh-what can I get for you?” She’s beaming at him and Kevin stutters, something he hasn’t done in front of a customer in literal _years._ Kevin mentally slaps himself and shakes himself back into order. 

“Jacob said he’ll get his usual,” she starts, her voice sweet and lovely. “He said you’d know what that means.” She tilts her head slightly and a perfect strand of hair falls into her face. Kevin is constantly baffled by how beautiful women can be. 

“I do, in fact, know what that means. I can’t believe he’s making you do all the work!” And Kevin can do this. She’s just another customer and he’ll banter his way through this interaction. 

She giggles and shakes her head. “Oh no, I’d never let him make me do that. I actually just wanted to see you for myself,” and she gives him a sly look. 

Kevin has no idea what to say to that. She seems to notice and changes the subject quickly. “Anyways, I want some sort of black tea but I’d love a recommendation.”

After a quick back-and-forth, they settle on an earl grey honey latte for her and a slice of carrot cake. When she hands over Jacob’s card, he can’t help but laugh. 

“I’m glad he’s treating you at least,” Kevin smiles, genuine. She’s staring at him for a second too long and then she smiles softly. 

“Definitely a treat for me,” she says a little mysteriously. Kevin doesn’t try to think too much about it, handing the card back to her. 

“Oh, I need your name!” He had written Jacob’s name on his order, an automatic reflex. 

“Jennie,” she smiles and with a little, “Thank you!” leaves to wait for their drinks. She was actually the last in line so Kevin and Chanhee can make the drinks together. 

“To be honest, I’m shocked that I can’t tell who’s dating up,” Chanhee quips next to Kevin. That sets Kevin off and he has to turn away to laugh, a smile splitting his face. It wasn’t even funny but Kevin is feeling delicate right now. When they hand Jennie the two drinks, she smiles at them and the two of them pretend to be shot. She giggles at their reactions as they help her balance the carrot cake slice. 

Kevin finally makes eye contact with Jacob. He still looks tired but he shoots Kevin a warm smile and Kevin’s heart stutters. While nodding in Jennie’s direction as she walks back to where they’re sitting, he aims two thumbs up at Jacob, attempting to wordlessly congratulate him on finding such a lovely companion. 

Jacob looks… lost. He tilts his head, his brows furrowing, but slowly raises his own thumbs up. Kevin isn’t sure what the confusion is but he doesn’t want to keep dealing with his heart pounding just from looking at Jacob; he gives a two-finger salute and turns away, deciding that the bar needs a thorough cleaning. 

/ / / / /

“Jacob,” Jennie says, her tone serious, and she sets their drinks and cake slice down on the table. She slides into her seat and stares at him intently. Jacob scrunches his face, still confused by Kevin’s gestures. 

“What?” He sighs, turning to face her, and Jennie's face is solemn. She holds it for a second longer than breaks into a wide smile. 

“You didn’t tell me he was absolutely _gorgeous!”_ She whispers-yells and Jacob flushes. He knew bringing his best friend here to see Kevin was going to be a mess. He brings his hands up to hide his face and groans. 

“Please don’t make a big deal out of this,” he mutters, his face warm. Jennie, enthused, does not stop. 

“When you told me you’ve been going to the same coffee shop for like, a literal year _and a half,_ just because of the owner, I couldn’t believe it,” she leans forward then, face conspiratorial, and smirks. “Sorry for doubting you, a _beautiful_ man is a perfectly valid reason!” She leans back into her seat and crosses her arms, her face smug. Jacob drops his hands and he can’t help but smile.

Jacob wasn’t sure how to explain to Jennie that while yes, Moon’s Cafe has excellent coffee, that its beautifully charismatic owner, Kevin Moon, is his main reason for frequenting this shop. So, in his sleep-deprived state, he thought just showing her was the solution. 

“You hinted at it being love at first sight,” Jennie goads with an impish smirk. 

“I did _not,_ you made that up,” Jacob huffs, but he can’t help his wandering gaze sliding to Kevin cleaning the counter. He’s focused on the task, his tongue sticking out a little and Jacob can’t believe how charming he is. 

“Jacob, Earth to Jacob. Oh my god, stop staring at him,” Jennie gasps a laugh, and Jacob stammers, annoyed he got caught staring. He’s never had someone come to the coffee shop with him so he’s not used to having someone witness his blatant ogling of Kevin. 

“Before we start though, how do you even know he,” she murmurs and mimics swinging a baseball bat while raising an eyebrow. She looks like she’s about to try every gesture she knows so Jacob hastens to answer her. 

“This coffee shop was featured as an LGBTQIA friendly business and he introduced himself as its “very gay” owner.” Jacob refuses to tell Jennie about a particularly drunken night where he Googled Kevin’s name. 

“Oh, that’s great, absolutely no confusion then!” Jennie’s smile this time is fond. He’s only recently begun telling her about his attraction to Kevin and due to the nature of how fleeting their interactions are, he knows that she’s just worried about the potential trajectory of a relationship. 

And that’s the thing. He’s lost on how exactly to ask Kevin out and Jennie has always been his go-to second opinion.

“Oh, this is delicious!” Jennie hums as she eats a bite of the carrot cake and Jacob mindlessly adds, “They get their pastries from the bakery down the block, the one owned by those two Australians.” 

Jennie looks at Jacob and because she knows him, narrows her eyes. 

“Alright, what else did Google tell you about your coffee crush?” and Jacob wants to disappear. 

Jennie gives Jacob some buffer time and when she’s halfway through the cake, he mutters, “I’m a year older than him and he’s been the owner for 5 years after his parents gave him the shop.” Jennie grins and pushes the other half of the cake to Jacob. He begins eating it, humming because yes, it is delicious. 

“You’ve considered giving him your number?” Jennie asks and Jacob nods. It’s the obvious answer and yet, Jacob wants to be even more blatant that he wants to romance Kevin. He tells Jennie as much and she looks at him, exasperated. 

“I’m not about to help you do some weird proposal thing-” she starts and Jacob sputters, quick to stop her. 

“No, I mean like, I want him to know I want to date him. The problem is that I’m 99-percent sure he works here every day except when he goes on a one-week vacation. But it’s always at random times.” Jacob hopes he comes off less obsessive and more basic logical reasoning. 

“I can’t believe you, you’re ridiculous,” Jennie laughs, a little shocked. “You figured out he has vacation times?” Jacob is definitely blushing out of embarrassment now. 

“I’ve been coming here for the past year and a half and he’s here all the time. So when he’s not, it's obvious,” Jacob huffs, but he’s aware that noticing something like that might be pretty specific. Jennie just sighs, but not out of pity. She knows Jacob recognizes these things; they’re coworkers and she sees his eye for detail applied daily to their work. 

“I think you just needed someone to tell you that you should give him your number,” and Jennie leans back into her chair, sipping her drink. “If you want some sign that it’s okay for you to flirt with him, _this_ is it. It’s me telling _you_ to tell Kevin you think he’s hot while you give him your number,” she urges and fixes Jacob with an insistent pout. Jacob knows she’s right but his stomach stews with nervousness. 

What if he’s been imagining everything? What if Kevin is just doing his job—extremely likely, actually—and is excellent at banter? Jacob doesn’t want to be some creep who misread all their slightly flirtatious conversations, doesn’t want to abuse their customer-employee power dynamic. This all must show on his face because Jennie suddenly taps the back of his clenched fist. 

“Is it better if I were to give him your business card?” Jennie speaks softly, knows that Jacob tends to overthink things; she does understand why he’s being particular about the propriety of asking a business owner out in their shop, though. 

Jacob unclenches his fist and exhales deeply. “I think I should do it,” he decides then. He doesn’t want any uncertainty or miscommunication. 

He leans back into his chair now, a little winded by his decision. Jennie mirrors him and cocks an eyebrow. “So you’ll do it today?” and for some reason that scares Jacob. Jennie can read him like a book so she lightly kicks him under the table. “Why do you look like you’d rather die?” She complains, pouting like she is personally offended. 

“It’s not that, I just,” and Jacob pauses, anxiety over rejection clouding his thoughts. His worry about rejection is unsaid but Jennie knows. 

“Hey, listen to me Cobi,” she leans forward again, encouraging him to look at her. When their eyes meet, her gaze is intense. “You won’t know until you try. And I know you’ll be stewing over this for the rest of your life unless you do something. If anything, you two can start out as friends.” 

Jacob can deal with that. He nods and begins feeling assured that at the very least, the two of them can be friends. Their conversations were always friendly and Kevin seems to enjoy them so he feels confident that he’s not hated. 

“I’m going to overthink how to go from friends to dating him though, so you have to be prepared for my angst then, okay?” and Jennie laughs at Jacob’s serious expression. He grins too, glad to have someone he can talk to about this. At that moment, he checks his watch.

“Shoot, we gotta go. Team meeting in like 15,” and both of them roll their eyes, dreading the unproductive hour they’ll have to deal with. As they gather their things, Jennie gets a wicked look in her eye. 

“Shouldn’t we get something for the road?” 

/ / / / /

“I genuinely cannot tell if it’s a date or not,” Chanhee huffs and Kevin just shrugs from where he’s sitting. They’ve hit the post-lunch lull where they don’t really get customers so the two of them are killing time by switching off organizing their equipment. 

Kevin is also trying very hard not to stare at Jacob and Jennie. He keeps peeking over and making himself sad so he’s trying to distract himself. 

“Well, they look like they’re getting along great,” Kevin mutters, his turn to reorganize their various utensils. Chanhee, sitting now, points at Kevin with a mini spatula in his hand. 

“If you want, Younghoon and I were going to Jaehyun’s to drink. We’ll be out late so you could try to make it after you close?” Chanhee grins, eager to pressure him into closing early so he can hang out with them. Kevin considers it seriously, the allure of drinking away his angst at a good friend’s bar sounding pretty damn appealing. But alas, he hasn’t run Moon’s Cafe without keeping consistency, only closing early with prior announcement. His pause is long enough for Chanhee to know his answer. 

“Alright fine, but make sure you schedule someone so you can go out this week. Oh, wait!” Chanhee stands up then, his smile suddenly bright, the look in his eye making Kevin nervous. “Your mandatory vacation starts tomorrow, you dumbass!” And Kevin groans, so completely in his heartache that he forgot about Chanhee’s enforcement of his “vacation”. 

If he could, Kevin would literally work every single day of the year at the shop. Chanhee knows this, so for the last two years, he’s enforced Kevin on a week-long break at least once every few months. His goal was simply for Kevin to Not Be Behind The Counter and he makes sure all the employees keep their boss away from the bar and backrooms. 

He gets why Chanhee does it, and he accepts it. He knows he shouldn’t break his body by working all the time so he tries his best to savor his “vacation” time. It’s not easy though, because Kevin lives in the apartment above the shop and he still drops in and hovers. 

“Are you suggesting that I spend my vacation moping and drinking?” Kevin pretends to be scandalized and holds his hands to his heart. Chanhee sticks his tongue out then suddenly, his face becomes panicked and he points to behind Kevin. When he turns around, Jacob arrives in front of the register. 

“Oh!” Kevin yelps, and jumps, surprising Jacob and making him jump too. They both freeze, looking wide-eyed at each other then burst into laughter. Kevin runs a hand through his hair and waves that hand as if trying to blow the laughter away. 

“Hi Jacob,” he manages between some remaining chuckles. Jacob nods, giggles still escaping and it’s the cutest thing. Kevin’s heart pulls a little but he savors the sound. 

“Hey, Kevin,” Jacob’s smile is breathtaking, his eyes crinkled. Kevin feels winded and in an attempt to function normally, grabs the coffee cup for Jacob’s regular order. Jacob notices and nods. “Yeah, my regular, for the road.” Kevin hums, and as he writes the order down, notices Jennie standing by the door. 

“Anything for the missus?” Kevin says as casually as possible and has to stop himself from immediately looking up to gauge Jacob’s reaction. When he finishes writing and hands the cup off to Chanhee, he looks at Jacob. He looks contemplative.

“Uh, I guess whatever she got before? I’m not sure what she got, but if you don’t remember,” and Kevin shakes his head.

“I remember what she got, no worries,” and he grabs the appropriate cup and starts writing her order down. “Jennie’s a beautiful woman, by the way,” Kevin tries so hard to not let his voice shake. He wants Jacob to know he’s happy for him. He’s focused on writing when he hears Jacob kind of stutter.

“Y-yes? Yeah? I mean, she’s pretty, yeah,” and Kevin looks up then, a little baffled at Jacob’s anemic response. Jacob has the same expression when Kevin tried to gesture his congratulations to him. 

“Dude, what kind of response is that?” They haven’t reached a level where Kevin can dunk on Jacob yet but he’s so shocked by Jacob’s response that his reply just spills out. 

“I mean, we’ve been best friends for so long, I guess I just forget that yeah, she’s considered beautiful,” Jacob shrugs, nonchalant, and starts to pull out his wallet. 

Jacob has absolutely no idea that his words have dumped ice-cold gasoline on Kevin and then ignited his entire body on fire while he screams in his head.

“Best friends,” Kevin parrots back, shocked. Jacob holds up his card and Kevin has enough space in the dumpster fire of his brain to take it. 

“Yeah,” and Jacob smiles, fond. “We met at a Pride parade party in freshman year of uni when she painted a rainbow on my face while I was drunk and we’ve been best friends since,” he laughs, obviously reminiscing to what must’ve been a nice memory. Kevin wants to laugh too, but his brain is a mess of internal screeching and the words “Pride parade” slamming itself against the backs of Kevin’s eyes. 

“That’s nice,” Kevin manages to get out, but it's feeble and Jacob looks up at him, expression a little worried. He clears his throat and tries again. “That’s a lovely start to a friendship,” and he tries to word it in a way that Jacob can answer his question. 

“Yep! Besties for like, shoot, eight years now? Dang,” Jacob chuckles then and runs a hand through his hair; it settles down perfectly styled because of course. 

“So you’re not dating,” the question is past his lips before he can think to regret it and he hears Chanhee cough softly in surprise somewhere behind him. 

The shock on Jacob’s face would be funny if Kevin’s mind wasn’t currently a roaring fire.

“Wha-what? No, no, no, absolutely not, god, no,” Jacob laughs nervously and despite his higher brain functions being completely defunct right now, Kevin can appreciate the slight flush across Jacob’s cheeks. 

His next words essentially astral project Kevin into another dimension. 

“She’s got girls to date and I’m gay so we settled for best friends,” Jacob says casually, and when he locks eyes with Kevin, his smile is a little shy. 

Kevin is speechless and he can’t even fathom what his face looks like right now. He thinks if he tried to speak, all that would come out would be smoke from his fried brain. Chanhee, _bless the man, Kevin swears he’ll buy all his drinks for the next month,_ comes swinging in to save his friend from embarrassing himself. 

“Excellent, with the two of us, it’s an all-gay establishment right now, so you fit right in,” Chanhee tosses over his shoulder as he grabs Jennie’s order from Kevin’s hand. That abruptly pulls Kevin from his daze and it's almost nauseating the emotional rollercoaster he’s on right now but it’s currently going _up._

“We’re glad to have you here Jacob,” Kevin slips in as much warmth into his voice as possible, insistent to let him know that he’s thankful for Jacob’s trust in him with such personal information. Jacob is blushing now and Kevin notes that his ears get red too. 

“I’m glad I found this place so thanks for, uh,” Jacob stammers, and smiling is easy this time. He leans across the register and pats Jacob’s bicep. 

“No need to thank me, just keep being my _favorite_ regular,” Kevin retreats back behind the register, his hand on fire from feeling the hard muscle under the fabric of Jacob’s shirt. He returns Jacob’s card back to him and helps Chanhee hand him the two drinks. “You’re all set,” and Kevin is beaming, any doubts he had are gone and replaced with the comfortable warmth that he found comes with his pining for Jacob. The assurance that he has a _chance_ settles so nicely in his gut that he thinks he’s set for the rest of the month. 

Jacob is staring at Kevin for a beat too long, his face a little flushed, and as he accepts the drinks, their fingers touch. Kevin, embolden by the rush of happiness, brushes his fingers over Jacob’s and grins at him. “See you tomorrow Jacob,” Kevin’s cheeks hurt from how much he’s smiling but he doesn’t care. 

Jacob appears to get a hold of himself and then he aims his own bright smile at Kevin. “Yeah, see you tomorrow, Kevin,” and when he turns around to walk towards the door, Kevin catches Jennie’s eye. She winks and Kevin blushes. 

/ / / / /

“Jacob, did you give him your card?”

“Damnit!” 

/ / / / /

As he’s closing the store, Kevin gets a text from his mother reminding him about how he’s going to stop by their place tomorrow morning. Because his vacation starts tomorrow. His mandatory one-week vacation. 

“Goddamnit,” Kevin groans into the empty shop, embarrassment filling him over telling Jacob he’ll see him tomorrow. His mental calculations tell him he doesn’t even have time to wait for Jacob because it takes two hours to drive out to his parents so he has to leave early in the morning. 

He texts Eric and Hyunjoon asking them to inform Jacob he’s on his vacation. It’s a weird request for him to ask but he’s desperate to maintain whatever vague trajectory he and Jacob were on today. Hyunjoon texts back affirming he’ll do that and Kevin is grateful his two youngest employees are so accommodating. He knows they’re well aware of his pining for Jacob and he’s thankful they take it into stride. 

When Kevin goes to sleep that night, he tries not to think too hard about the image of Jacob at a Pride parade with a rainbow on his face. 

Kevin returns from his visit with his parents to his apartment on day three of his vacation. He wants to check in so he goes through the shop to get to his place. It’s well into the afternoon and Haknyeon has the decency to scramble and try to look like he’s working. Chanhee, sitting at an empty table, just lazily waves. The shop is relatively empty and Kevin knows afternoons are particularly sluggish. 

“Welcome back,” Chanhee drones and Kevin hands him a small plastic container of cookies his mother baked. As Chanhee hums in delight, Kevin goes to Haknyeon and gifts him his own container. 

“Glad to see everything’s still standing,” he smirks as Chanhee rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, we’re competent, thank you, thank you.” Chanhee is impartial but Haknyeon huffs, actually proud of getting through a shift without Kevin there. He’s a newer hire that Kevin has spent the last month training personally so seeing as Chanhee doesn’t want to rip his hair out must mean Haknyeon did a great job. 

Kevin ignores Chanhee to compliment Haknyeon and despite his friend’s whining, he knows they both share a parental pride in seeing the younger employees gain confidence.

Because it’s such a slow day, Kevin feels comfortable going upstairs and dropping his stuff off and returning to the shop. He gets Haknyeon started on making him a tea latte and while he waits, Chanhee sidles up to him.

“So, I have some news,” he starts and Kevin hums, more intent on watching Haknyeon work. 

“Jacob hasn’t come in for the past two days,” and that snaps Kevin’s full focus to his friend. He turns quickly to look at Chanhee. “He didn’t come in yesterday and he didn’t come today. Eric said that when he last came in, he looked rough. Like, sick rough,” and Chanhee looks grim. 

Kevin’s heart sinks. They can’t do anything. _He_ can’t do anything. He doesn’t have a number to call and he doesn’t even know Jacob’s last name. He looks up at the ceiling of the shop, annoyed with himself for flaking so hard on getting something as simple as a full name. 

“Let’s just hope it’s a cold and he’ll be back in no time,” Chanhee tries to calm Kevin and logically, Kevin knows that’s their only option. He hates it though.

“I hate this,” he voices out loud, his throat tight. Haknyeon hands him the drink then and Kevin manages a small smile towards the younger. He’s sure Haknyeon did a great job but the latte is tasteless on his tongue and he knows this is going to bother him for the rest of his vacation. 

“I’ll do morning shifts,” Kevin starts and Chanhee immediately shushes him. When Kevin looks at his friend, he’s met with a fierce gaze. 

“No, you fucking won’t. We _will_ keep you updated, you rest your pretty ass. I let you put this vacation off for five months, the longest I’ve _ever_ let you because you insist upon overworking yourself.” Chanhee is resolute and hearing him say five months is like ice-cold water to his face. 

He usually doesn’t go that long without these vacations so it does put into perspective how much he must’ve been inadvertently hurting himself. Kevin sinks into himself a little, a bit ashamed of his recklessness, and accepts the scolding. Chanhee isn’t mad, but he lets out a petulant little huff and gives Kevin a solid whack on his arm.

Kevin is thankful he has someone like Chanhee in his life, looking out for him. He knows that’s too sappy for them so he settles for their own love language. 

“I’m glad you’ve finally acknowledged my pretty ass!” 

The slap he gets on his arm is accented with Haknyeon’s joyous laughter. 

~~~

Kevin wakes up at 4 AM, years of habit ingrained into his systems. He still opens the shop, ushers Eric and Hakyneon in, makes them their morning drinks as they set up. As soon as he hands them their drinks though, he starts heading back up to his room. 

“Oh, uh,” Kevin pauses at the doorway. He tucks his robe around himself a little tighter. “Let me know if you see Jacob?” He’s embarrassed at how small he sounds but the two of them respond with blinding smiles. 

“Will do, Boss!” They say in unison. It’s adorable and makes Kevin laugh, and he waves at them as he makes his way upstairs. 

An hour later, his phone rings; it’s Eric. 

“Kevin! It’s an emergency! We’re low on our plant milk!” Eric sounds like he just ran a marathon and Kevin figures he just scoured the backroom in a panic. He’s already getting up and moving. 

Using his most calming voice, Kevin tries to get a gauge on how much time he has while slipping into jeans and pulling on a shirt, looking for his thicker coat. 

“Enough for maybe another hour,” Eric still sounds panicked and Kevin hums. He can easily get to the grocery store and back in an hour. 

“I gotcha babes, you’ll have plant milk soon,” he smiles as he hears Eric’s relieved laugh and hurries to his car. 

  
  


Kevin is pushing a cart with 8 cartons of various types of plant milk when he thinks he hears a raspy voice call out his name. He ignores it initially, mostly because he’s very focused on shuffling through his bag to see if he has any relevant coupons. 

“Kevin…?” And this time he looks up. 

He’s glad he did. 

“Jacob?!” 

When he asked Eric about it, Kevin had to cut him off from repeating for the fifth time how sickly Jacob looked. He thought the youngest was just exaggerating, as he tends to do, his energetic personality often translating to rambling stories. 

“You look like shit!” Is out of Kevin’s mouth before he can stop it but Eric’s description was unfortunately accurate. His hand immediately covers his mouth and he flushes in embarrassment, stuttering out an apology. 

Despite the disposable mask covering the bottom half of his face, the crinkles around Jacob’s eyes are enough of an indication that he’s smiling. 

“I actually prefer your reaction over people trying to tell me I don’t look that bad,” he laughs but then descends into a short coughing fit. He looks pale and Kevin can see the sickly flush on his skin, some strands of hair stuck to his forehead. He still has those dark circles under his eyes and Kevin almost feels angry that the man isn’t in bed resting. He says as much and Jacob just shrugs. 

“Just got me to take of myself and I only had so much in my fridge,” and he lifts the shopping basket as an explanation. Kevin eyes the instant ramen and cans of soup in there.

“That isn’t going to help you much,” he says slowly, and Jacob scratches the back of his head, shy. 

“I haven’t gotten sick for… years. Just figured I needed to eat something easy,” and when he looks up, still looking a little bashful, something in Kevin snaps. 

“I’m making you soup,” Kevin declares and without thinking, grabs Jacob’s free hand and starts pulling the man down the aisles with him, expertly pushing his cart and maneuvering past other customers. 

One half of Kevin’s brain is screaming at him to realize what he’s doing and what he just said out loud. The other half is listing off the necessary ingredients for a mild soup and other easy to digest dishes that can last in the fridge for days. At some point, he transfers Jacob’s basket into his cart and is explaining why he’s choosing what to put into the cart. Jacob, looking a little dazed, just nods. He’s pretty much silent the whole excursion except for a few comments of his likes and dislikes. 

Kevin feels like his logical brain left his physical body and only returned when they finish loading the groceries into the trunk of Jacob’s car. 

“I need your address,” Kevin’s mind is a mess and in the chaos of questions he feels like he needs to ask first to maintain Normal Human Interaction, his logical brain spits out that statement instead. Desperate to appear like he’s not currently debating laying down in the middle of the road, he adds, “Because I’m going to make you soup,” which is still a buck wild thing to say. 

Jacob, kind-hearted and warm, takes it in stride and starts saying a street name when Kevin sees the opportunity. 

“Wait, just gimme your contact info,” and he pulls out his phone and hands it to Jacob. He hands it back after carefully typing and Kevin feels his lips upturn into a small smile. 

“Jacob Bae,” he reads out softly, and looks up, meeting Jacob’s eyes. They’re bright and happy and he clutches at the sherpa jacket he has on. 

“That’s my name,” he laughs then tilts his head. “What’re you doing with all that milk?” And suddenly, Kevin is viscously reminded that he’s on a time limit. 

“Oh shit,” he grips the handle of the cart and tries to remember where he parked. “Uh, we were running low. Crap, not to cut this whole thing short but I gotta go, like, now, but uh, I’ll text you,” Kevin is a mess but Jacob just nods, understanding the rush, and as Kevin stammers out a goodbye and “I’ll see you later,” he can’t help but feel giddy at Jacob’s little goodbye wave. 

  
  


“You’re going to make him soup,” Chanhee deadpans through his speakerphone as Kevin drives to Jacob’s; his nerves are a live wire, ready to combust. 

“I invited myself over and this is the most fucked up thing ever,” Kevin laments, map application chirping that he needs to turn left soon. 

“And you’re going over to his place, right now,” Chanhee sounds distracted, and then Kevin hears the click of keyboard keys. 

“Are you Googling him?” Kevin gasps, and when he takes the left turn, he sees a row of very high-end apartment complexes. Chanhee hums and reads out his findings.

“Jacob Bae is a year older than you. Hot.” Distracted, Kevin makes a sound of agreement; apparently, he’s almost at Jacob’s place. 

“Lead creative director at some music label firm. Essentially, young and successful. That woman he was with is his boss!” Chanhee snaps his fingers and they both laugh. His friend lists some projects Jacob’s name is on and it distracts Kevin enough to keep his nerves from overtaking his conscience. Sooner than he thinks, he arrives at his destination: it’s a tall, modern building, a lot of glass, and easily forty stories high. Kevin feels his stomach drop. 

“He’s rich, remember,” Chanhee huffs after Kevin describes the place in awe. After a quick pep talk from Chanhee that mostly consists of him saying, “You’re hot, you’re just making him food, you’ll see him again,” they hang-up and Kevin takes a moment to check his text messages.

Jacob had replied to Kevin’s introductory text and explained that he told the security guard to expect Kevin. 

He sends a text to Jacob, telling him he parked, and then pockets his phone. The security guard at the front desk in the marble lobby directs him to the elevators and when Kevin presses the button for the 32nd floor, he starts to overthink. 

What if he accidentally pressured Jacob into inviting him? What if Jacob is too nice to say no and doesn’t actually want Kevin to do any of this? 

By the time he’s standing in front of Jacob’s apartment door, he’s pretty sure he’s made a terrible mistake and that he’s going to regret this for the rest of his life. 

When Jacob opens his door, he still has the mask on—smart of him, actually—and his eyes are bright and his voice is warm. “Kevin! Welcome!” Jacob steps back and makes room for Kevin to walk in, almost immediately dissipating any doubts Kevin had. 

Jacob helps Kevin shed his coat and leads him to his living room. It’s large, a bit sparsely decorated, but the most interesting things are the photos scattered throughout the space. Jacob points him to his kitchen and Kevin takes his time making his way there, gazing at the photos. 

Kevin points to an obviously old photo of Jacob and Jennie—Jacob is shirtless and he can’t ignore the obvious muscle definition glinting in the light. Jacob peers over and chuckles.

“Oh, that was taken the day after we met. Who would’ve thought we’d still be friends,” and Kevin wishes he could see Jacob’s mouth. He can tell the man is smiling from his eyes but he misses seeing those plush lips pulled into a smile. 

He leads them to his kitchen; it’s just as fancy as the rest of the apartment though obviously not used much. 

“I’m not much of a cook…” Jacob seems embarrassed and Kevin quickly shushes him. The groceries he picked out are on the counter and as he starts unpacking them, he asks Jacob to pull out whatever cookware he has. 

The situation is absurd. He’s in the kitchen of a customer who’s been coming to his shop every weekday morning for the past year and a half. A man he’s been thirsting after. A man who’s also sick.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jacob asks and Kevin looks at him. He looks flushed and he’s hovering a little awkwardly by the counter. Kevin wonders if the smile he has on his face is too fond, but he moves towards Jacob and gently pushes him out of his own kitchen. 

“You’re the patient here, you go rest.” Jacob’s eyebrows are raised and he huffs. 

“In my own household too!” His voice is filled with too much mirth for him to actually seem annoyed, and he moves to the seats at the counter. “I’ll just watch, I guess. No different than usual.” Kevin laughs at the coffee shop reference and gets to figuring out the kitchen with direction from Jacob.

Ultimately, the best part about this is that Kevin gets a wealth of information about Jacob. 

Kevin learns about Jacob’s life, his family, his career. His mom cooks all the time and he learned absolutely none of it. He was a jock in high school, something Kevin teases him about. His university life got infinitely better when he came out. Jennie ended up helping him get his current job and he loves the work he does. 

Kevin places the lid on the soup and steps back. At this point, it just needs to cook. He has another pot slowly cooking with a rice porridge that Jacob can eat later. Satisfied, he walks over to Jacob and feeling extra bold today, reaches up and places his palm on the man’s forehead. 

“You’re not burning up, but you really should rest,” Kevin clicks his tongue. As he pulls away, Jacob reaches up suddenly and gently wraps his fingers around Kevin’s wrist. He freezes, eyes locked with Jacob’s. 

“Thank you, Kevin. This really helps,” Jacob’s eyes are bright with something and Kevin is afraid to examine it. He’s breathless and feels like anything he might say will be stupid. Instead, he just swallows and nods, feeling his face heat up. Jacob’s eye crinkles—he’s smiling—and he slowly releases Kevin’s wrist. 

He’ll think about how Jacob’s hand wrapped completely around his wrist later. 

“Do you have tea?” Kevin asks suddenly, a bit desperate to talk about something. Jacob tells Kevin where he keeps his tea stuff, and a few minutes later, he’s using his barista skills to make Jacob a perfect brew for a sore throat. 

When Kevin places the mug in front of Jacob, something behind him catches his eye. 

“You play guitar?” Kevin perks up, and Jacob turns around in his seat. 

“Oh yeah. I was the guitar kid at church,” he laughs then, and Kevin is graced with a view of Jacob’s lips as he pulls the mask down to sip from the tea. He grins then and Kevin can’t believe how much he missed seeing his perfect smile. “Taught people and everything. Actually tutored a bit during university,” and that catches Kevin’s attention. 

While the image of Jacob playing the guitar will haunt his dreams tonight, Kevin zeroes in on the teaching part. 

“Have you taught anyone recently?” Kevin leans his forearms on the counter, fascinated. Jacob shakes his head and Kevin hums, tilting his head down to stare at his hands for a bit, thinking. When he glances up, he catches Jacob staring at him. Without the mask in the way, Kevin is treated to seeing a blush spread across Jacob’s plush cheeks. He quickly looks away and sips his tea. 

“Did you know my coffee shop hosts open community classes every so often?” Kevin decides to shuffle Jacob’s actions into another part of his head, more intent on his new goal. Jacob, attention back on Kevin now, shakes his head again. 

“I didn’t know. What kind of classes?” Kevin can’t help the proud smile he gets whenever he gets a chance to talk about this. 

“Depends! Mostly low key stuff, writing, reading, art. Sometimes things like open mic, slam poetry. I’m proudest of the resource-based ones though, helping community groups host open meetings and such.” Pride swells in Kevin’s heart. Part of his dream was making Moon’s Coffee a safe space and an active member of the community. Being a place that helps host such things is a huge source of happiness for him. 

“That’s lovely, Kevin. You’re amazing,” Jacob’s expression is so warm and Kevin wishes he could take a photo of it and keep it forever. They stare into each other's eyes for a second too long and Kevin remembers his reason for bringing this up. 

“Oh! So, about you teaching guitar,” Kevin stands up, putting a bit of space between the two of them. He regrets it a little because the tension between them was intoxicating but he’s on a mission now. “You don’t have to of course, and absolutely zero pressure, but if you ever felt like teaching again, we’re always looking for new classes to host.” Jacob looks surprised and sets his mug down. 

Kevin sees the hesitation and hastens to add, “If you wanted, I could assist too. I play piano so,” and he shrugs, a bit embarrassed now. Jacob arches an eyebrow at that. 

“And you play the piano? What the hell,” Jacob says a bit breathlessly and then for some reason jerks back a little. He looks embarrassed. “Ah, I meant, you’re uh, very multitalented,” he hurriedly adds. Kevin smirks and is about to make a comment when his phone alarm goes off, making them both jump. He shoots an apologetic smile to Jacob and hurries to his phone. He checks the soup and porridge and finds that both look perfectly cooked. 

“These will last you a few days. You can just reheat ‘em in the microwave and it’s easy to add vegetables,” he gives both an experimental stir and confirms that they’re good to go. After helping Jacob wash the dishes, Kevin decides that it’s a good time to head out. 

“Uh, well, you’re set for food,” Kevin says as Jacob walks him to the door, even helping him into his jacket. He’s forgotten to pull up his face mask but Kevin is so far gone that he doesn’t care, happy to be able to see Jacob’s mouth. “And you really need to rest. You won’t get better if you overwork yourself.” Kevin steps towards Jacob and presses the back of his hand against his forehead again. Jacob’s eyes flutter shut, his lips part, and Kevin is enraptured by how beautiful he is. 

“You’re still a bit warm,” he rasps out and Jacob slowly opens his eyes. There’s a fire in them that paralyzes Kevin; he brings up a hand again to wrap around Kevin’s wrist and slowly pulls it from his forehead to cradle Kevin’s hand between them. 

He gulps and pulls his hand from Jacob’s but still brushes their fingers together, lingering a little. 

“Get well soon,” he almost whispers. Jacob nods and his smile this time is tinged with something flirtatious. 

“I will.” 

When Kevin goes into the elevator, he sees his reflection in the mirror doors; the blush across his cheekbones is embarrassing but he can’t help the full smile on his face. 

~~~

Jacob texts Kevin that evening of his visit, thanking him again and tells him he’ll think about teaching, though for now, he’s not sure. Kevin assures him there are no expectations and that there’s no pressure. The conversation ends with a “ _Got it! :)”_ from Jacob and Kevin makes the executive decision that they’re friends now.

He’s shocked Jacob is the one to send a good morning text. 

Jacob Bae: _Good morning! I’m feeling much better. Definitely owe it to you :)_

Kevin: _Morning! Glad to hear you're feeling better !! And you owe it to sleep, I only made sure u didnt starve! Also keep resting!_

There are far too many exclamation points but Kevin couldn’t care less. 

They text throughout the day, and then the next, and Kevin is pretty sure it might be unhealthy how every text notification from Jacob shoots a burst of serotonin through him. 

Jacob was apparently on the tail end of his fever and on the evening of Kevin’s last vacation day, he claims he’s made a full recovery. He also informs him that Jennie stopped by and tasted his soup and demanded that Kevin sell it in his shop. The selfie he sends has Jennie making a funny face while cradling a bowl of his soup but it’s Jacob’s face that Kevin stares at. 

He actually does look much better, no dark circles under his eyes and sickly pallor gone. The crow’s feet by his eyes and toothy smile is enchanting and Kevin makes it Jacob’s contact photo. 

That night, as Kevin lays in bed and checks his emails, he gets a good night text from Jacob. 

Jacob Bae: _I’m off to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early :)_

Jacob Bae: _Also, I plan on stopping in for lunch. If you have time, I wanted to talk to you about something._

Kevin stares at the text for a good five minutes, trying to discern what “something” could be when it clicks. Giddy at the prospect of Jacob teaching a class, he makes a note to remind himself to time his break during lunch. 

Kevin: _Always down to make time for you. I’ll see you tomorrow, night Jacob !!_

He hopes Jacob doesn’t read too much into his wording. He also hopes he does. 

~~~

“Oh, you definitely look much better,” Kevin grins when Jacob walks up to the register. It’s a weird warm day for December so he’s just wearing a slightly distressed black sweater today; the little peeks of skin are captivating. 

Like clockwork, Jacob pulls out his wallet as Kevin is already writing his order onto the cup. It’s different now though and the air between them is a little charged. They awkwardly steal glances at the other and blush. 

“I promise I’ve completely recovered. Your soup cured me,” Jacob’s smile paired with the neckline of his sweater slightly slipping leaves Kevin in a slight daze, blindly handing the cup off to Haknyeon. He takes his card and when their fingers brush, a line of electricity runs down his spine. 

“I really don’t think my cooking has that kind of capabilities,” Kevin tries to laugh but he’s a bit shy over the praise. “You probably just needed sleep.” Jacob’s eyes narrow, his lips turn down slightly, and he shrugs. Kevin is going to sue whoever made the sweater Jacob is wearing for emotional distress because he can’t handle how the neckline threatens to dip below his collarbone. 

“Seriously Kevin, I was about to eat instant ramen. You saved my ass,” Jacob even mildly swearing stirs something in Kevin’s stomach and he wants to sink into the floor as he feels his face warm.

“I have to cook something that isn’t soup for you next time. That isn’t even my greatest hit,” the faux confidence he manages is enough for now, and Jacob’s blinding smile in reply soothes him. 

“Next time, yeah,” Jacob says softly, and as Kevin hands him back his card, he remembers. 

“Oh! I’ll time my break for when you come in for lunch. We’ll have plenty of time to talk,” Kevin grins, his excitement for Jacob showing a mild interest in hosting a class enough to make him ignore his “next time” comment. 

Jacob flushes and stammers. “Oh uh, yeah. Yeah. That,” he runs a hand through his hair and shakily laughs. Kevin is suddenly worried about his nervousness. 

“Hey, no pressure, dude. Remember, there are no expectations!” Kevin hopes his encouragement is helpful. Jacob tilts his head then nods. Remembering that they’re in the middle of the morning rush, he waves as he leaves the line to wait for his drink. 

“I’ll see you then,” and he flashes a shy smile over his shoulder, the neckline of his sweater exposing a slight flex of muscle. 

Kevin stammers when greeting the next customer and it's _annoying._

  
  


The lunch rush arrives and, as usual, he and Chanhee work through it smoothly. Kevin is making a drink when Jacob walks in; he can only manage a nod of acknowledgment and then he’s focusing on not burning himself. 

After Kevin finishes making a drink and serves it, Chanhee wordlessly hands him a cup and jerks his head to Jacob. He overhears Chanhee inform Jacob that once the rush is over, he’ll let Kevin go on his break. 

“I legit think this is the first time I’ve made and gave you your drink,” Kevin grins as he hands Jacob the cup. 

“It is,” Jacob confirms, his smile radiant. “Better be the best I’ve ever had,” he chuckles, cradling the cup close to his chest. Kevin rolls his eyes, and as Chanhee motions for him to make the next drink, he calls out to Jacob’s retreating back. 

“It’ll be like 10.” He gets a thumbs up and a smile as an answer. 

  
  


When Kevin slips into the seat across Jacob, their knees bump. They both laugh out apologies and Kevin settles into the seat, mug warm in his hands. 

Jacob is at Kevin’s favorite place in the cafe, the same place he sat with Jennie a week ago, and the coincidence of it doesn’t miss Kevin. He decides to mention it to Jacob, who hums in response. 

“Lucky guess,” and he takes a sip of his coffee and his eyes crinkle over the rim of his cup. 

Kevin leans forward after he finishes sipping on his own drink. “So, lay it on me, man. What’s up?” He’s trying to tamper his excitement but he’s been obsessed over the idea of Jacob teaching music. Jacob seems to be the exact opposite of Kevin; he looks skittish and is avoiding Kevin’s eye. It dampers Kevin’s excitement and he gears up to apologize for any pressure he put on him. “Hey, I meant it when I said there’s no pressure, you can say no if you wa-”

“Actually,” Kevin immediately shuts up. He wants Jacob to know he can say anything, tries to convey this through his eyes. Jacob is gripping his cup, slightly crushing it, and pauses. Kevin hopes he looks as welcoming as possible. 

Jacob finally looks at Kevin. There’s something anxious and something else there. “I realize you thought we’d talk about the teaching thing which, by the way, I’m one-hundred-percent thinking about. _But,”_ he gulps then, puts his cup on the table, and runs a hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut. Kevin is lost, a million possibilities going through his mind and none of them sticking. 

Jacob takes a deep breath like he’s psyching himself up, and when he looks at Kevin this time, his eyes are bright, the anxiety gone.

“I actually wanted to ask you out. On a date.” 

Kevin’s brain, previously buzzing with millions of possibilities, fizzles out into a low drone. His mouth falls open but he’s speechless. 

As Kevin’s silence draws out, Jacob starts to stammer. “If I misread everything, please tell me, I just, I like you a lot, and.” That snaps Kevin back into the moment. 

“You like me?” Kevin whispers, his brain is just static. Jacob nods, his lips pressed into a tight line. His cheeks are pink and Kevin thinks it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever seen. 

Kevin can feel his lips pulling into a smile. His heart is beating steadily and he thinks with the happy energy coursing through him, he could shout his answer. 

He settles with reaching out and gently laying his hand on Jacob’s clenched fist. 

“I’d love to go out with you,” it’s soft and his voice is a little shaky but he’s gifted with Jacob’s answering smile. When Jacob turns his hand and slowly intertwines their fingers, Kevin is sure he’s found something perfect. 

~~~

Chanhee looks like he’s going to kill him. 

“Kevin, all your black pants look the same. Yes, your ass looks great in both. Just choose one already!” He slaps his hand on Kevin’s bare thigh, and Kevin flinches away, whining. 

“But these are jeans and the other is polyester, they’re different!” Kevin pouts at his reflection in the mirror; he’s standing in just a loose sweater and briefs, holding the two pairs of pants up to his waist. Behind him, Younghoon tries to placate his huffy boyfriend. 

“I mean, he’s not wrong, babe. Different fabrics and whatever,” and Kevin nods, glad to have an ally in this debate. Younghoon tests his good graces though. 

“Kevin, just choose whichever one is faster to take off. If you know what I mean.” He can _hear_ Younghoon wiggling his eyebrows and Kevin sees Chanhee high-five him from the mirror. He shimmies into the skinny jeans, just to spite them.

“It’s a first date, y’all,” he explains when the two of them start to object to his decision. He points out that none of them know what to expect on a first date these days. Kevin’s been busy with the shop and his two “helpers” have been exclusive for two years. He’s pretty sure that ending up in bed together isn’t expected on a first date, though. 

He tucks the sweater into his jeans and fidgets with his hair, brushing a stray strand behind his ear. The plan is that Jacob was going to pick him up and they were going to eat at a trendy Korean restaurant. 

“You look great, sweetie,” Chanhee croons and it’s sarcastic but it’s offset with the fond look he has. He smoothes out some invisible wrinkles in Kevin’s sweater, adjusts the neckline to expose more of his collarbone, and steps back. He feels like a teenager again, nervous for a date, his palms a little sweaty. Kevin knows he’s not a bad-looking guy, but Jacob looks like a GQ model; his looks haven’t ever bothered him but it’s what his brain is unhelpfully focusing on. Chanhee, a mind reader probably, clicks his tongue. “I’m serious Kevin, you look pretty, he’ll fall over himself.” 

They all make their way down into the shop from Kevin’s apartment and Chanhee fixes him a mug of tea to calm his nerves. The shop closed an hour ago, at 5 PM—Kevin closed early, not wanting to go on his date with Jacob at eleven at night—and as he finishes the tea, Chanhee and Younghoon start gathering their things. They’re bathed in the light from the setting sun and the weather forecast said that despite the chill, it would be a clear Sunday night. 

“Text me when you get home,” Chanhee calls from the front door. “Be safe, use a condom, etcetera,” his twinkling laugh fades away as he closes the door before Kevin can yell at him. Younghoon gives him an apologetic smile and waves through the glass door which gets him back on Kevin’s good list. 

Eleven minutes later, Jacob calls him. 

Kevin almost drops his keyring as he locks the front door, his hands shaking. When he turns around, Jacob is stepping out of his car—black, sleek, modern—and opening the passenger door for him. It’s a chilly evening so he’s wearing a heavy-looking jacket but Kevin’s eyes zero-in on a peek of an unbuttoned collared shirt.

For some reason, the nervous look on the older’s face and his slightly awkward stance as he holds the door open makes Kevin giggle. 

“What a gentleman,” Kevin gently teases as he buckles himself in and beams at Jacob as he slides into the driver’s seat. Jacob shrugs and glances over at Kevin as he starts driving. 

“Gotta impress ya,” he smiles softly, and Kevin laughs then, shaking his head. 

“There’s no need to impress me,” and Kevin decides to try his luck. “You’re plenty charming, Bae,” he winks as he catches Jacob’s eye. Jacob tries to grimace but Kevin can see the smile fighting to upturn his lips. 

“I usually don’t let people do that joke but I’ll give you an exception.” Kevin wiggles in the seat, delighted over something as small as joke privilege. 

“Already feeling special,” Kevin looks over to Jacob and sees his lips are pulled into a full smile. 

“Good.” 

Jacob apparently knows the owner of the restaurant. The built man greets them when they walk in and he and Jacob do the bro-hug thing. Jacob introduces Kevin as his date and Kevin’s face is warm as he shakes Sangyeon’s hand. 

“We were roommates in uni,” and Kevin and Sangyeon share impish grins. “I will absolutely tell you all his embarrassing university stories.” Jacob pouts and starts complaining as Sangyeon walks them to a table but after his friend claps him on the shoulder, Jacob’s smile is exasperated but fond. 

The food is excellent. It’s comfort food for both of them and they bond over this. That segues them into speaking about their childhoods, finding similarities between their lives. Both of them are the younger sibling, both of them with an interest in music. Both of them came out in university and were better for it. 

“So your parents just... gave you the shop?” Jacob looks shocked at Kevin’s offhand comment about his parent’s retirement. They were eating dessert now—some interesting slices of cake with weird decorations. 

“I mean, they didn’t just drop it on me. They did it gradually. I started working there when I was 15 and by the time I was 20, I was essentially co-owner,” Kevin sips from his water glass, realizing he hasn’t explained this to someone in a while. “I wanted to be the boss since I was 17 and my parents knew that so they just started giving me more and more responsibilities. Then I was signing papers on my 21st birthday and here we are.” He shrugs shyly and picks at one of the pieces of cake. Jacob is resting his chin on a hand, attentively listening to Kevin. 

“Kevin, that’s amazing,” Jacob sighs, lips pulled into a soft smile. 

He shifts in his seat and Kevin’s eyes shoot to Jacob’s chest, the unbuttoned black shirt exposing a long line of skin from his neck to his chest. He swallows and flickers his eyes back up to Jacob. He’s focusing on cutting off a bit of the cake in front of him, the tip of his tongue peeking out between those plush lips. 

Kevin’s been doing his best to not stare. But sometimes Jacob shifts just so and in the right light, he can see the definition on Jacob’s chest. He feels like Jacob looks tired and overworked a lot of the times he sees him so he can’t imagine how the man still manages to find time to work out and maintain a physique. He suddenly craves feeling the muscle himself, the memory of the time he had given Jacob’s bicep a pat and the firmness his hand was met with flooding his brain. He has to physically shake his head and Jacob makes a questioning sound. 

“Sorry, got lost in my head for a second,” Kevin smiles in apology, and Jacob answers with his own smile. They get onto the topic of pastries and when Jacob asks about the pastries Moon Cafe sells, Kevin has to give the full context which includes a whole story about spilling coffee on Chan, Felix’s partner at the bakery. 

Kevin tells the story as they leave the restaurant. They pause so they can wave at Sangyeon; he gives Jacob two enthusiastic thumbs-up which makes Jacob blush. When Kevin comments that Sangyeon seems like he’d be a good father, Jacob chokes on a laugh and explains that literally every person who meets him thinks that. 

The winter air is chilly and Kevin decides he can press a little closer to Jacob; when he doesn’t pull away, emboldened, Kevin goes and hooks his arm around Jacob’s. He feels the older stiffen for a second but then he leans into Kevin. They decide to cross the street and stroll down the riverwalk to enjoy the cool air. 

“That was the first time I heard ‘Oi, mate’ unironically,” Kevin, continuing his story, tries his best to emulate an Australian accent but it comes out weird and they laugh loudly. When Kevin looks to Jacob, he finds him already looking at him and he feels his heartbeat speed up. 

Jacob’s nose and cheeks are red from the chill and the fairy lights decorating the trees make his eyes sparkle. He looks a bit unreal and Kevin flushes, his feelings for the man suddenly feeling endless. 

“Well, I can’t blame them for immediately falling for your coffee. I don’t know what it is you put in it, but it’s genuinely the best I’ve ever had,” Jacob smiles warmly and surprises Kevin when he intertwines their fingers and pulls Kevin’s hand into his pocket. He didn’t realize how cold his hand was until it’s pressed up against Jacob’s warm one. 

Kevin is breathless. He’s staring at Jacob and he sees the flush that colors his cheeks, different from the pink from the cold. 

“Shall I make you a cup then?” Kevin asks, the impulse to bring Jacob back to the shop and see him there itches the yearning he feels for the man. 

Kevin doesn’t think he’ll ever get sick of Jacob’s smiles as answers. 

“That sounds amazing. Let’s do that.” He tilts his head as he says that and squeezes Kevin’s hand in his pocket. Kevin squeezes back. 

Jacob chooses a table closer to the counter, and as he drapes his jacket over a chair, Kevin is fluttering around the shop, turning lights on and flipping on the heat. He slips his jacket off and Jacob offers to take it. 

“While the thrill of timing my visits when it’s busiest is always fun, it’s pretty nice to be here when it's calm,” Jacob comments cheekily, leaning against the counter and watching Kevin work. He almost burns himself on the machine when he notices Jacob stretch his arms, the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt straining against the muscle.

Kevin walks around the counter and hands Jacob a mug, his own in his hand, and they sit down at the table. They both take a moment to just drink in the quiet of the shop. 

It’s intimate. Kevin only turned the light on behind the bar and one by the counter so the rest of the shop is dark except for the little bubble of light they’re sitting in. Their knees could easily bump into each other and the quiet of the empty shop means every sound feels amplified. Jacob puts his mug down first, the click of the ceramic on the wood table feels like it echoes in Kevin’s brain. 

“Not to talk about women on the first date but,” Jacob starts and it’s such a sudden topic to bring up that Kevin lets out a loud laugh. Jacob smiles then, watching Kevin calm himself and carefully place his mug on the table so it doesn’t spill. He waves Jacob on, urging him to finish his point. “But, I have to give props to Jennie for being the one who convinced me to ask you out.” Jacob’s face is bashful and all Kevin wants is to keep hearing him talk. 

“What’d you need convincing about?” He knows it's a bit of a teasing question but he’s curious—and flirty. 

“Might’ve been nursing this crush for more than a few months,” Jacob leans back into his chair and grabs the mug handle, pushing his fingers into it. “Wasn’t sure if you’re just really good at customer service.” Jacob’s eyes meet Kevin’s and he sees that same anxiety from when he asked Kevin out. Something warm blooms in Kevin’s heart.

“You thought about this a lot, huh,” Kevin muses, feeling soft over Jacob’s care and mindfulness. He bumps his knee against Jacob’s and leans forward, brushing a finger over Jacob’s hand. His knuckles look tense as they grip the mug and Kevin places his hand over his, slowly pulling it off the handle and gently into his own. 

“If it’s of any comfort, I’ve never gone to a customer’s house just to cook them some food. So you’re a first,” Kevin looks up from where he’s gently pressing into Jacob’s hand and locks eyes with him. “And I’d like to keep it that way. You, as my first.” 

Jacob’s eyes are wide and go even wider as Kevin pulls their entwined hands up to press a soft kiss to the back of Jacob’s hand, maintaining eye contact the whole time. He holds it to his lips for a second, a smile growing on his face as Jacob’s face flushes red. Kevin chuckles into Jacobs’s hand and gently releases it. He stands up then and grabs his own mug, coyly smirking. 

“Refill?” Kevin nods at Jacob’s nearly empty mug. Wordlessly, and still flushing, he nods, slowly pulling his hand to cradle close to his chest. Kevin wants to laugh, hopelessly charmed by the man. 

  
  


They go through two more coffee refills then change to decaf tea. Kevin’s little kiss seemed to have opened a dam—as he intended, really—and Jacob, obviously feeling bolder, is constantly touching Kevin. It’s either pressing a knee against Kevin’s, a calf against his, or reaching out and intertwining their fingers. Kevin thinks it’s lovely and does everything to encourage more of it. Like right now, as he slowly examines Jacob’s left hand, gently turning his hand over. 

“Guitar,” Jacob rasps out, and Kevin spares him from looking up to see his expression. Instead, he continues his ministrations, fascinated by the calluses on the tips of his fingers, softly pinching them. Kevin’s mind, previously filled with harmless affection for the man, suddenly dives deep into a depraved place. 

Jacob’s fingers, thicker than his own, would feel wonderful in other places. On his hips, in his mouth. Inside him. 

Kevin leans back then, breathless and completely winded by how quickly his mind descended. He looks up at Jacob now, the heat on his face likely mirroring Jacob’s own flushed face. Embarrassed, he looks down; his gaze slides to Jacob’s watch, the message on it catching his eye.

“Your heart rate.” Kevin, fighting a smile, points to his wrist. Jacob jumps and looks at his Apple Watch and groans. 

“God, that’s embarrassing,” he mutters, bringing a hand to pinch his nose bridge and Kevin laughs then. The device’s screen blares a message warning Jacob about his elevated heart rate.

“We’ll say it’s the amount of caffeine,” Kevin winks, Jacob’s embarrassed expression too endearing to tease. Jacob rolls his eyes but does arch a brow at their empty mugs. 

“Yeah. It was the caffeine.” Kevin decides he doesn’t have to misread the amount of affection in Jacob’s small smile. When he dismisses the notification, he makes a face.

“Well damn, it’s already 1 AM,” Jacob huffs, his smile a little apologetic as he shows Kevin his watch. Kevin’s brows raise at that; it’s a little amazing they’ve managed to lose track of that much time, the time spent talking apparently gone by like nothing. 

“I’ll help you clean up,” Jacob says and grabs their mugs. They stand and Kevin leads him behind the counter where the sink is. 

“Hey another first,” Kevin quips. “Never had a customer behind the counter before.” He shoots a grin towards Jacob. The older’s eyes crinkle as he smiles and he shyly tucks his chin in a little. He starts to roll his sleeves up more and Kevin pauses to watch the slight flex of muscle. 

The quiet strength Jacob holds is intoxicating and after feeling how firm his thighs are after pushing his knee against them for that past hour, Kevin just has to probe. “When do you have time to work out?” Because he still has some ounce of shame, he turns the water on right as he asks the question. 

“I go like, three times a week? It’s a good stress reliever,” Jacob heard the question and answers it normally, because he’s a normal person, and Kevin’s thirst is independent of asking a dude if he lifts. But the image of a sweaty Jacob and flexing muscles short-circuits Kevin’s mind and he can only manage an impressed hum in response. 

They finish washing the mugs and drying them in comfortable silence. Kevin’s mind is filled with white noise as he watches Jacob’s brows furrow, his full focus on drying the cup with the towel; he doesn’t feel the mug slipping from his hand. It crashes into the sink, scaring both of them. Jacob, more mindful than Kevin, doesn’t drop the mug in his hand. 

“Ah, shit,” Kevin peers into the sink. It wasn’t a very far fall so luckily the mug is in one piece. As he reaches in, Jacob’s hand shoots out and grabs Kevin’s wrist, making Kevin jump, throwing him off balance. 

In slow motion, Kevin trips into Jacob, who somehow simultaneously grabs Kevin’s waist and puts the mug in his hand onto the counter. Gravity still pushes Kevin up against Jacob, and they fall against the counter, Kevin’s hands landing on the cool surface, caging Jacob in. 

They’re nearly chest to chest and they both freeze. Kevin is looking square into Jacob’s collarbone, a perfect view of smooth skin, and a peek of a defined chest. He can feel Jacob’s chest heaving and he dares a look. 

Up-close, Jacob is beautiful. The light cuts sharper lines on his jaw and nose but his eyes are glowing warm. Kevin sees the initial shock of their position in his eyes, but then he feels Jacob’s hand on his waist dip down and rest on his hip, his eyes darkening. Their noses brush and Kevin feels his eyes flutter, his gaze slipping to Jacob’s lips then back up to his eyes. 

“Can I kiss you?” Jacob’s question brushes across Kevin’s lips and his expression makes him feel like he’s weightless. 

“Yes.” 

They surge into it together, the initial kiss chaste. When Jacob’s hand on his hip squeezes, Kevin tilts his head to deepen the kiss; that encourages Jacob to wrap an arm around Kevin’s torso, pulling them closer. It becomes heated as Jacob’s hand runs deliciously up Kevin’s spine, the hand on Kevin’s hip a vice grip. With the invitation to touch, Kevin’s hands move to rest on Jacob’s chest and he presses a hand on the exposed skin. Jacob inhales at the chill of his cold hand on his feverish skin and with Jacob’s lips parted, Kevin takes the opportunity and presses an openmouthed kiss on his lips. Jacob reciprocates enthusiastically and when Kevin lets out a breathy moan, Jacob pushes his tongue into Kevin’s mouth. And it’s _great._

Kevin leans back, breathless, his jaw throbbing with a slight ache. He hasn’t kissed someone like that in years and he was worried he’s lost his touch, but when he looks at Jacob, he thinks he still has some game in him. 

Kevin’s hand is still resting on Jacob’s sternum, and he slides it down, chasing the flush from his face to his chest, his palm catching on the rest of the buttons on his shirt. Jacob brings up his own hand to brush through his hair and Kevin whines at the loss of heat from his waist. Pouting, he presses closer to Jacob, sliding a thigh between his; a particular press makes the older gasp. 

Kevin tilts his head, curious, as Jacob turns his head away. “Hey,” Kevin starts, his voice rough, and pushes closer more, wanting to see those brown eyes. Then he feels it. 

“Sorry,” Jacob murmurs, blush high on his cheeks, his brows furrowed. He’s still looking away and the press of his growing erection is hot against Kevin’s thigh. 

He might be losing his mind. Kevin is _enraptured_ with Jacob being so into him that just kissing him got him like this. He reaches up and gently grasps Jacob’s face, turning him so he can see the other’s bashful face. “Please don’t apologize,” Kevin pulls Jacob’s face closer so he can kiss him, sweet and slow. He pulls back slightly, his forehead pressed to his, and Kevin stares into the loveliest eyes. “I want you,” he wets his lips, Jacob’s eyes following the path of his tongue. Kevin pauses, gauging their situation. 

“We both have to go to work in a few hours.” Jacob nods, biting his lip. Kevin hums, and steps back, pressing his hand over Jacob’s to keep it on his hip. “You’re clean?” His gaze drops to Jacob’s crotch. Somehow, Jacob blushes more.

“Yeah. Jennie made me get tested last week,” Jacob looks like he’s going to burst into flames. Kevin thinks it’s adorable and he coos, leaning into him again to kiss him, smile pressed to Jacob’s lips. After a moment, he gives Jacob a little peck and leans back, smirking.

Jacob inhales loudly when Kevin drops to his knees. He presses one hand on Jacob’s hip and his other toys with the button of Jacob’s pants. “Will this be enough?” He feels Jacob grow harder through his pants and Kevin can’t help grinning, the new angle making the light frame Jacob like a halo. 

“Kevin, you’re more than enough,” Jacob says a bit breathlessly. He raises a hand and runs it through Kevin’s hair, sliding to cradle his cheek and Kevin preens at the sweet praise. He thumbs over Kevin’s lips, parting them, and feeling particularly evil, Kevin sucks it into his mouth, tongue rolling over the digit. Jacob groans and tosses his head back and he takes that as an invitation to start unbuttoning and unzipping Jacob’s pants. With some help from Jacob, Kevin gets his pants and underwear down his thighs.

Kevin grips Jacob’s bare thigh, the hard muscle exhilarating. He’ll save the image of his head between those thighs for another night; for now, he needs to focus on the dick in front of his face. 

It’s been years since Kevin’s given a blow job to a real person. He’s not inexperienced—no, far from it. He and Chanhee didn’t gain _very_ specific reputations during their university years for nothing. And it’s not like he hasn’t gotten himself off in various manners. So Kevin isn’t nervous about sucking dick after a while, confident in his “muscle” memory. Rather, the nerves he feels is likely how excited he is to make Jacob feel good.

“Fuck, I knew you were big,” Kevin sighs and gives Jacob no time for a reprieve, gripping his cock and leaning forward to kiss at his cockhead, tongue lapping at his slit, licking the pre-cum there. 

Kevin spits into his hand, grimaces, but it’ll have to do and wraps a hand around Jacob, giving a few slow strokes. The moan above him stirs his stomach and Kevin regrets choosing the tight skinny jeans. He looks up at Jacob then and leans into the hand still in his hair. 

“Don’t be afraid to pull, babe,” Kevin winks and Jacob bites his lip and his hand starts to grip the back of Kevin’s hair. He sighs, content, and focuses back on the member in front of him. 

He starts with a teasing lick from the root to tip, mouthing at the cockhead and slowly sucking it into his mouth. Jacob’s cock has _girth_ and as soon as he feels the stretch as he descends, Kevin thinks he’s found the perfect dick. The weight of Jacob on his tongue is addicting and Kevin hums, his other hand stroking where his mouth hasn’t reached yet. 

Jacob is breathing heavily above him, and as Kevin hollows out his cheeks and bobs up and down, he peers up through his lashes. 

“You look so good, baby,” Jacob’s voice has dropped an octave and Kevin moans around his cock, the pet name warming his face. Jacob grips his hair and pulls and Kevin moans again, louder. “Fuck,” Jacob gasps out and Kevin pulls off to take a breath. 

“Swear more, it’s hot,” Kevin presses Jacob’s cock against his cheek; he knows he must look sinful and Jacob’s harsh pull of his hair is enough of an answer and prompt to continue. He takes Jacob into his mouth again, this time slowly bobbing with the intent to get Jacob down his throat. 

When Jacob’s cock hits the back of Kevin's throat, he thanks himself for learning how to deep throat all the way back in university. Jacob is a mess above him, moaning and pulling Kevin’s hair. His other hand is gripping the edge of the counter, his knuckles white. Kevin lays a hand on Jacob’s thigh to ground himself and he feels how tense the muscle is. Kevin appreciates Jacob’s efforts to not buck into him; he knows how to handle it but it has been years. He’ll let Jacob fuck into his mouth later. 

_Later._ Kevin is confident there will be a next time. He’ll make sure of it. 

“Shit, Kev,” the nickname is sweet and Kevin hums around Jacob. He has a little more to push down and when his nose hits his toned stomach, Jacob exhales a moan and the hand in his hair moves to cup Kevin’s face, wiping a few stray tears. “Fuck, baby, you’re amazing, so perfect,” he whispers. Kevin swallows around Jacob, the sounds obscene, the praise spurring him on. When Kevin pulls back with a slight scrape of teeth, Jacob’s moan is so loud that it surprises both of them. Jacob’s cock pops out of his mouth and he strokes it, taking a breather. 

“I’m close,” Jacob whispers, fist against his mouth. Kevin sees the teeth indents and he clicks his tongue. 

“Come in my mouth,” Kevin says casually, like a throwaway comment, and Jacob’s whine makes him smile. As he hollows out his cheeks and goes down again, he reaches up for Jacob’s hand; Jacob immediately indulges him and he intertwines their fingers. 

Kevin decides _he’ll_ indulge Jacob then. He locks eyes with Jacob and lets his mouth go lax around his cock. Jacob gasps, taking the hint, and starts to fuck his cock into Kevin’s waiting mouth. He roughly thrusts two, three, four times then on the fifth, he holds Kevin there, Jacob's come spilling down his throat. Kevin, captivated by Jacob’s orgasm face, thinks the man looks heavenly. 

When Kevin swallows around his softening cock, Jacob hisses, overstimulated. Kevin pulls off and is about to sit back when Jacob, recovering quickly, pulls Kevin up to kiss him roughly. Kevin melts into the kiss, and as Jacob licks into his mouth, he jumps a little as he realizes Jacob managed to get his pants down far enough to press a hand on his brief-covered cock.

“Just jerk me off, you’re hot and I’m close,” Kevin gasps into Jacob’s mouth, acutely aware he isn’t making much sense. Jacob doesn’t question it, just hums in affirmation, and pulls Kevin’s cock from his briefs. He holds a hand up to Kevin’s mouth and he pools spit into Jacob’s hand, maintaining eye contact with him, entranced by the lust he sees there. 

Kevin was already pretty close to edge for a while; sucking Jacob off was plenty sexy for him. The combo of Jacob now expertly kissing Kevin and his hand with his guitar-calloused fingers, warm and slick on his cock, leaves Kevin in ruins. He mewls into Jacob’s mouth, hands scrambling for purchase and landing on Jacob’s chest. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Jacob murmurs into Kevin’s ear, a particular twist of his wrist making Kevin writhe. “Kevin, you’re perfect,” he lightly bites his ear lobe. “Come for me, baby,” is said warmly against Kevin’s jugular and he’s _gone._

He comes with a low moan, spilling over Jacob’s hand. Always the gentleman, Jacob strokes Kevin through his orgasm, kissing praises into the crook of his neck. When he finally comes down from his post-orgasm haze, he pulls Jacob back into a kiss, affection filling his heart. 

“How’s your heart rate,” Kevin laughs, smiling too much to properly kiss Jacob. After they get their fill of kissing each other, they gingerly separate, tucking themselves back into their pants. 

“It’s going to tell me I need to call my doctor,” Jacob huffs, rolling his eyes. Kevin laughs loudly when Jacob comments about their ingenuity to do their little escapade by a sink, the two of them bumping shoulders as they wash their hands. 

“Holy shit, it’s 2 AM,” Kevin holds Jacob’s wrist up to look at his watch. They both groan, dreading the workday ahead of them. There’s a moment of comfortable silence between them and Jacob sighs and shoots a small smile to Kevin. 

“I’ll drive you home,” he starts to grab his jacket and Kevin fights a smile.

“Luckily I am at home. So no need.” Jacob whirls around then, shock on his face. He pauses, processing the comment; Kevin juts a thumb to the ceiling as further clarification. Jacob takes a look around the shop and walks up to Kevin and pulls him into a heated kiss. 

“We have to fuck at my place, I don’t want to get weirdly horny here,” and Kevin bursts out laughing, leaning into Jacob’s arms and nuzzling into the crook of his neck. 

“That’s fine with me,” he kisses into Jacob’s neck, basking in the warmth of Jacob’s arms. 

Outside, the first December snow begins to fall, sealing their laughter in the warm coffee shop. 

  
  
~/~/~/~/~  
  


Seven months later, Kevin is preparing the shop for Jacob’s third lesson. It’s a popular class, operating as both a guitar class and as a general music theory class. The shop closes a little early when they host classes and Kevin is moving chairs when Jacob pops back into the shop. He had been upstairs in his apartment, dropping off his bags for his weekend stay with Kevin. 

The warm weather means Kevin gets to see Jacob in shorter sleeves and he revels in being able to openly ogle his boyfriend. Jacob pulls Kevin into a sweet kiss and he hums, content.

“Hey, love,” Jacob greets after they part.

Yeah. Kevin was having a _great_ day. 

**Author's Note:**

> WHEW. Hey! Thank you so much if you made it to the end! I really hope you enjoyed this, I had A Time writing this. Please feel free to leave a comment! You can find me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/onlymildinterst)
> 
> also the most OOC thing in this is Jacob being an Apple user, just pretend in this he somehow still uses an android


End file.
